Wishing you all a very Happy Diwali!
May this festival of lights bring joy, prosperity, and happiness to you and your loved ones.
May your life be illuminated with health, wealth, and the strength to overcome all obstacles.
May your days ahead be as bright as the diyas that light up this beautiful occasion.
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On the island of Lemnos,
Tonight, the glow of flames lit up the entire island.
Everyone who came to the island joined the grand feast...of course, everyone except for Helen.
At this moment, the woman, who would become the most beautiful woman in the world in the future, sat on the stone steps of the temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, resting her cheek on her hand, gazing up at the stars and the full moon in the sky.
Her captivating violet eyes, which could make any man in the world submit to her, and no one knew what they were thinking.
Beside her lay a golden bow, a golden arrow, and a lead arrow.
These were the divine artifacts that Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, had personally handed to her when Helen set foot on the island.
They were the magical arrows of love, wielded by the young god Cupid!
According to the legends of Greek mythology, there was a god named Cupid, often depicted as a little boy holding a bow and arrow, usually naked.
He would sometimes wander around blindfolded with a bow and arrow, often shooting aimlessly.
This symbolized the blindness of love.
Moreover, the bow and arrows he carried possessed a magical power that no one could resist.. not even the gods.
It was he who shot Apollo with a golden arrow, causing him to fall hopelessly in love with the nymph Daphne.
Yet, at the same time, he also shot her with a lead arrow, making it impossible for her to fall in love with Apollo, the god of light forever.
At the same time, according to legend in the Greek mythology, it was also Cupid who, under the orders of Queen Hera, shot the golden arrow at the witch Medea, causing her to fall hopelessly in love with Jason and devote everything to him.
Now, the arrows were in Helen's hands.
And as she looked at the arrows and the bow, the words of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty,
echoed in her mind constantly:
"Shoot the golden arrow at the one you love, and you will gain all of his love.
Then shoot the lead arrow at the person you dislike, and they will never have a chance together."
The golden arrow that led love toward marriage and the lead arrow that ended love and caused separation were now both in the hands of Helen, the most beautiful woman on earth.
This was why she sat alone outside the temple, lost in thought deep into the night.
She had been handed one of the most powerful tools in the world, capable of controlling the hearts of both mortals and gods.
But there was an uncertainty within her—an internal struggle she couldn't shake.
Her goddess Aphrodite had given her these weapons, urging her to use them when the time was right. The goddess had whispered in her ear that with a single shot, she could make anyone, even Promise, fall in love with her.
But, that didn't sit well with Helen.
She wasn't sure if she wanted love that was forced or manipulated by divine power.
She looked at the arrows and sighed softly, unsure of what to do.
She thought about Promise, about how different he was from everyone else she had ever known.
There was something genuine in him that made her hesitate.
Did she really want to use magic to win his heart, or was there another way?
Would she use the arrows? Should she?
As these thoughts swirled in her mind,
"Haven't made up your mind yet?"
The voice of the goddess of beauty Aphrodite suddenly sounded in her ears.
Helen instinctively looked up and saw that the goddess had returned.
Aphrodite, looking at Helen, who was still sitting in the temple with eyes still filled with hesitation, frowned and said with clear displeasure: "Helen, what are you hesitating about? Didn't you tell me you were in love with that hero called Promise?"
"I went out of my way to bring you Cupid's bow and arrows. I have even given you both the golden and lead arrows."
"And now, all you have to do is shoot the golden arrow at Promise and the lead arrow at the woman beside him, and you will be able to obtain the man you desire, all to yourself!"
"What is there to hesitate about? Have you been deceiving me all along?!"
Hearing her words and looking at her goddess' angry expression, Helen stood up in a panic, waving her hands and explaining nervously: "No, no, it's not like that! I haven't lied to you, Goddess. I really do like Brother Promise, it's just… it's just…"
"Just what?" Aphrodite asked, her tone filled with dissatisfaction.
"It's just...I just feel… that this isn't right."
Helen actually didn't fully understand everything, but she recalled her time spent with Promise, and after hesitating for a while, she said, "I just feel that if I did this… I would never be able to earn Brother Promise's forgiveness."
Aphrodite was surprised by her response and looked at her with some curiosity.
Then, narrowing her eyes again, she asked in displeasure, "So you think I'm deceiving you?"
"No, of course not!" Helen quickly shook her head.
"Fine, do as you wish," Aphrodite said, turning and heading toward the temple. But after taking just a few steps, she stopped, her back still facing Helen as she said. "Oh, by the way, I met that hero Promise today. He really is just as outstanding as you said."
Hearing this, Helen was overjoyed, but before she could express her excitement, the goddess added,
"However, when I saw him, I suddenly remembered something Queen Hera once told me. She's quite fond of this follower and has decided to hold a grand wedding for him. It seems she already has someone in mind."
"What?!" Hearing her words, Helen ran over in a panic, grabbed the clothes of the goddess of beauty Aphrodite, and asked anxiously: "Who is it, goddess?"
The latter tilted her head, glanced at Helen, then smiled faintly and said, "I don't know, so… my dear little follower, if you really want to grasp your love, you must do it as soon as possible."
With that said, Aphrodite walked away.
Of course, she didn't go too far away.
Instead, she stood quietly in the distance, watching the conflicted Helen with a smile forming on her lips.
Aphrodite knew that Helen would eventually shoot the arrow of love, aiming it at Promise, because the opportunity was right in front of her, within easy reach.
"Hephaestus, Hera… he's certainly more interesting than I anticipated," The goddess of beauty, Aphrodite murmured softly.
As her mind wandered back to what had just happened at the shore.
Initially, Aphrodite thought she would strongly dislike Promise, but after actually getting to know him, she unexpectedly found him quite pleasing.
and...
"I never expected that he would reject me!"
Aphrodite had arranged a trial for Promise, and had said that if he passed her trial, he would receive one of her paintings.
Therefore, the goddess of beauty had originally thought that after knowing this, the boy would agree to it immediately.
After all, Promise had already collected seven paintings, and he must undoubtedly be eager to complete the portraits of the Olympian gods.
Because such an achievement would surely be even more magnificent than his quest for the Golden Fleece.
Aphrodite was well aware of his ambitions—after all, Athena and Hera had nearly spread the word of his exploits to every god that existed.
The boy was eager to become a hero.
Yet, despite this, Promise still refused at that time, and his reason was astonishingly simple:
"Goddess Aphrodite, I truly appreciate that, despite your dislike for me, you still gave me the opportunity to receive your painting. But I don't intent to accept it because… I don't want to become a disaster for others."
The young man didn't want to involve anyone else.
Since the golden apple tree incident, he had become keenly aware of the risks that involved around him.
After all, even Hercules had nearly been stripped to the bone!
So, despite Aphrodite's warning that rejecting her would mean never having another chance to obtain her painting, Promise still turned her down.
"This is the first time I've been rejected by someone, let alone a mere human being."
But the thing that made her even more angry was that she couldn't do anything about him!
Who was she?
She was the goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and procreation, one of the twelve gods of Olympus, and the most beautiful one.
Born from the sea foam, she was known for her stunning appearance, enchanting presence, and the ability to incite love and lust in both gods and mortals alike.
She could stir uncontrollable passion in anyone, leading many gods, heroes, and mortals to fall for her beauty.
Even the gods who were supposed to be immune to mortal weaknesses were vulnerable to her charm..
Wherever she went, she left an aura of irresistible charm, and her presence could silence even the most powerful gods.
The dream of countless male gods was to get a kiss from her!
"But Promise, the more you do this, the more I want to.... destroy you!"
...
End.....
P.S: Once again a very happy diwali.
There would be two extra chapters today, each, after an hour.